More Tips For DOS and Windows Users

by Kendall Callas

Safety backups

Turn on Original Backup to keep a backup copy of your document (filename.BK!) as you edit. The prior version will be saved with the extension ".BK!" Remember, files that end with ".BK!" are old versions never open or print them except in an emergency.

In WordPerfect for DOS 5.x/6.x, find this under Setup/Shift+F1, 3/Environment, 1/Backup Options, Original Document Backup. In WordPerfect for Windows 8.0, use Tools, Settings (in versions 7.0 and 6.x use Edit, Preferences), then select File, and Original Document Backup.

Word count

Let WordPerfect count your words for you ... and also the number of sentences and paragraphs, even characters and lines. These statistics and more are available in WordPerfect for both DOS and Windows, 6.0 and later. In DOS, use Tools, Writing Tools (or ALT+F1), then choose 4/Document Information. In WordPerfect for Windows 8.0, choose File, Properties (in version 7.0, it's File, Document, Properties), then click the Information tab; in 6.x versions, it's just File, Document Info.

Easy horizontal lines

When desktop publishing or designing forms, it's useful to easily and precisely draw horizontal lines, such as for signatures, fill-in blanks, or to separate sections. You can use the TAB key and flush right with the underline feature if you first tell WordPerfect to underline tabs.

Make sure your cursor is above the text you'll need this for, then use this command: In WordPerfect for Windows 8, go to the Font menu to select Underline, Text and Tabs; in 6.x and 7.0 versions, use the Font menu to select Tabs in the "Underline Options" section; in 5.x versions, use Layout, Typesetting, to select Underline Tabs. In WordPerfect for DOS 6.x, use Font/Ctrl+F8, 6/Underline, 2/Tabs; in 5.x, use Format/Shift+F8, 4/Other, 7/Underline, Tabs.

Once the code for underlining tabs is placed in the document, text below it can use TAB or flush right with the underline feature. You can quickly draw horizontal lines by turning on underline (Ctrl+U or, in WordPerfect for DOS 5.x, F8) and pressing the TAB key. To stretch lines to the right margin, turn on underline then select flush right (ALT+F6 in DOS, ALT+F7 in Windows). Turn off underline after drawing the line.